ISSUES

Vienna, 21 June 2018 – United Nations Member States only recently unanimously adopted a guidance document on drug policy at the 2016 General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on the world drug problem. The outcome document aims to advance balanced, people-centred and holistic approaches to drug challenges, by implementing the UNGASS recommendations and helping to achieve […]

NEWS RELEASE OTTAWA, May 14, 2018 – Senator Betty Unger today awarded the Senate of Canada’s 150th Commemorative Medal to three Alberta residents and four Alberta organizations in recognition of their significant contributions to their communities. “Albertans embody the spirit of volunteering,” Senator Unger said. “In the last General Social Survey from Statistics Canada in […]

Countdown to Kinder Morgan deadline When will Justin Trudeau do something?!! Kinder Morgan halts non-essential work on Trans Mountain pipeline and sets drop-dead deadline VANCOUVER SUN | Stephanie Ip and Patrick Johnson Kinder Morgan pointed to the “uncertainty” created by the opposition of the B.C. government as the reason for the sudden announcement and said it will […]

Today in Question Period, I asked the government leader in the Senate, Senator Harder, what action the Prime Minister is taking to get Trans Mountain built. Apparently he still isn’t taking any action, only talking. Hon. Betty Unger: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate and concerns the Trans Mountain […]

On April 18, a number of witnesses appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce to report on the recent tax changes in the U.S. and the implications for Canada. Following is the testimony of Charles Lammam, Director of Fiscal Studies at the Fraser Institute. Charles Lammam, Director, Fiscal Studies, Fraser Institute: Thank you […]

Mark Milke Special to the Globe and Mail Mark Milke is the author of multiple studies on the economics of subsidies to business. One of the great myths circulated by the anti-energy crowd in Canada is that the energy sector is heavily subsidized by taxpayers. Instead, as I found in my 2017 study for the […]

Hon. Betty Unger: Honourable senators, the Liberal government’s plan to legalize marijuana will make Canada the first developed country in the world to do so. This fact alone should give us pause. So what is it with this plant — this weed — that makes it a pariah in all other democratic countries and the reason […]

Statement on Bill C-210: An Act to Amend the National Anthem Act “Proposed changes to our national anthem should have been put to Canadians in a referendum” OTTAWA, February 5, 2018 Last week, “independent” senators used a “guillotine motion” to ram through Bill C-210, changing Canada’s national anthem. In her speech opposing this motion, Senator […]

By Chantal Da Silva on 2/1/18 | NEWSWEEK http://www.newsweek.com/canada-passes-bill-make-national-anthem-lyrics-gender-neutral-797150 Canadian lawmakers have passed a bill to make the country’s national anthem gender neutral. Instead of “In all thy sons command,” the anthem’s lyrics will soon be rewritten to read: “In all of us command.” Senators voted overwhelmingly in favour of changing the lyrics of “O Canada” to […]

In the rush to legalize marijuana in Canada, medical experts are warning about weed’s alarming side, particularly for younger users MACLEANS | Joe Castaldo | January 15, 2018 Sean Savoie first smoked marijuana around the age of 14 when, behind a gas station, a friend handed him a pop can fashioned into a bong. He […]

CBC | Fifth Estate As Canada prepares for legal pot, the federal government plans to spend as much as $80-million to train 750 police officers to smoke out high drivers. But how sound is the test? A Fifth Estate investigation raises serious questions, showing it can lead to false arrests, is prone to police bias […]

Opinion: Canada’s marijuana plan borrows from its approach to alcohol, rather than tobacco—and that could create a commercialized, predatory industry MACLEANS | Daniel Myran and Ryan Forrest | January 24, 2018 Daniel Myran is a family physician based in Ottawa who is currently completing a Master’s of Public Health at Harvard University, where his research focus […]

Long before Justin Trudeau became Prime Minister, he publicly stated that China was the country he most admired because they knew how to get things done. He clearly believes in this philosophy, as evidenced by his recent decision regarding the Canada Summer Jobs program. Funding through the Summer Jobs program was previously made available to […]

Many Canadians are very concerned about the federal government’s decision to legalize marijuana for recreational purposes (medical marijuana is already legal in Canada, and will not be impacted by this Bill). Bill C-45 has been passed by the House of Commons and is now in the Senate for consideration. It is not too late to make […]

Reprinted from the Colorado Springs Gazette Opinion | November 9, 2017 This week marks the fifth anniversary of Colorado’s decision to sanction the world’s first anything-goes commercial pot trade. Five years later, we remain an embarrassing cautionary tale. Visitors to Colorado remark about a new agricultural smell, the wafting odor of pot as they drive […]

Marijuana Use: Detrimental to Youth American College of Pediatricians – April 2017 ABSTRACT: Although increasing legalization of marijuana has contributed to the growing belief that marijuana is harmless, research documents the risks of its use by youth are grave. Marijuana is addicting, has adverse effects upon the adolescent brain, is a risk for both cardio-respiratory disease […]